


Winning His Heart

by SpaceJammie



Series: Oddly Specific First Meetings Fic Collection [12]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Akaashi is a veterinarian, Alternate Universe - Farm/Ranch, Bokuaka - Freeform, First Meetings, Fluff, Horses, Intimacy, M/M, Strangers to Lovers, Suga And Oikawa Are Up To Something, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:15:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26870491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpaceJammie/pseuds/SpaceJammie
Summary: Bokuto's friends take him to a horse sanctuary for a much needed vacation.Akaashi's grandfather has left the sanctuary to him; he now runs it alone.Will the two of them hit it off?
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi
Series: Oddly Specific First Meetings Fic Collection [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1982089
Comments: 24
Kudos: 201
Collections: maazesfini





	1. Chapter 1

Oikawa was driving down a long country road which was many hours from town. Iwaizumi was relaxing beside him in the passenger seat, staring idly out the window; it had been silent in the car for the past thirty minutes, aside from the quiet music that was playing. Oikawa had one hand in the steering wheel, and the other rested casually on Iwaizumi's knee. The two men had really been looking forward to this trip, as had their three friends.

In the back of the small car sat Daichi, Suga, and Bokuto. The five of them had known each other for many years and were taking a much needed vacation together, to a place everyone except for Bokuto had been many times before; his family couldn't afford to send him to the yearly camp that his other friends had gone to each summer while growing up. 

And this trip’s main purpose was to help Bokuto take his mind off his worries. He had recently lost his job; it was one he had been working at for years, and the termination was very sudden. As the car went along, he was staring out the window while bouncing his leg rhythmically. His mind was lost in daydreams at the moment, and had been for much of the drive. Watching scenery fly by always made his imagination flow more freely. 

Suga, who had been patiently putting up with Bokuto's leg jostling him for the past few hours, gave his back and white haired friend a pat on the arm. He probably worried that Bokuto was thinking about his old job, or other similar things that might make him sad. "Don't worry, Kou. We only have ten minutes left, then we'll be there."

Bokuto didn't reply. He didn't actually hear Suga; he was too preoccupied. At that moment, he was thinking about how interesting it would be to sit on top of a car while traveling, rather than inside it. 

After another minute of silence, Oikawa spoke up from the driver's seat. "I'm excited to be at the sanctuary again. We haven't been there since our last round of riding lessons, and that must have been six years ago."

Iwaizumi hummed in agreement as he turned to look at Oikawa. "I liked going out there every summer. There's something really relaxing about being around horses and doing ranch chores all day."

"Yeah, I loved those summers," Daichi said with a nostalgic grin. "Old man Akaashi was such a great guy. And he put up with the four of us even though we were more wild than some of the horses."

Suga laughed as he went to hold Daichi’s hand. "We did act like animals sometimes, didn't we? I think old man Akaashi and his grandson had more patience than all of us combined."

As if his mind had finally slipped back into the present, Bokuto turned his gaze back in from the window so that he could look at Suga. "I'm really looking forward to meeting them both!"

Oikawa gave a wistful sigh as he steered the car. "You won't get to meet the older Akaashi, unfortunately. He passed away last year. I think Keiji's running the place by himself now."

Bokuto frowned as he thought about what it must be like to run a horse sanctuary without anyone else there to help; it was probably a lot of work, and being alone all the time would be terrible. "Didn't you say the sanctuary is on a huge property? Why's he by himself?"

"Well, Keiji could probably get someone to help him out there if he wanted," Suga replied with a grin, as though there was something hiding behind his words; there was, but no one aside from Oikawa knew that. 

Daichi nodded. "I’m sure he could afford to hire help. He gets a lot of regular donations that keep the place running. I think he just prefers to manage the place alone, since he's a reserved guy."

Just then, Iwaizumi looked back at Bokuto. "Try not to overwhelm Keiji with questions when you meet him. I know you're really excited about seeing horses for the first time, but don't go yelling about it if you can help it. The guy's really mellow and he might get spooked."

"Even the ever-patient Keiji may have a hard time keeping up with your questions, Kou,” Daichi said with a chuckle. “But I don't think you'll bother him if you ask him about horses. He likes to talk about them."

Bokuto was drumming his fingers on the back of Oikawa's seat as he thought of all the questions about horses he’d been saving up, though he couldn't remember half of them now. He wished he'd have written them down. But he knew that more questions would come to him once he was there. And it had been a dream of his to ride a horse when he was a child, so he was looking forward to getting the chance. 

"It's a shame the horse sanctuary doesn't offer summer camps for kids anymore, or riding lessons," Hajime said, as if he were longing for those days again. 

"I think that was more his grandfather's area of expertise," Oikawa replied as he moved his hand from Hajime’s knee and intertwined their fingers instead. "And I don't think Keiji's that good with kids. He didn't really like us when we were younger, even though he was the same age. I don’t think he started being friendly towards us until we were all in our teens."

"He was an only child who was homeschooled, so he didn't have to put up with other kids aside from us and the others that would come for summer camp," Iwaizumi said thoughtfully. "Maybe that's why he isn't fond of them."

“I think he was just shy,” Daichi said with a look of contemplation. "It's not that he isn't good with kids. He's just better with horses and prefers their company over dealing with people regularly. He got that from his grandpa. That’s why they lived there together without anyone else, and only did the two week camp instead of anything longer."

"And we were always so loud. I bet we gave Keiji a bad impression of what other kids are like. Especially since the other kids that came were pretty rowdy as well," Suga said with an amused smirk. 

Oikawa looked at Suga in the rear view mirror. "That's true. We were such brats. Remember all the pranks we pulled that summer when we were about eleven? Old man Akaashi was at his wits end, and so was Keiji.”

Bokuto spoke much more loudly than necessary, though not intentionally. "Kids are fun! They have so much energy, and they're honest about everything!"

"Kids are the only ones who can keep up with you,” Iwaizumi said with a grin. “You should get into teaching, or coach a sport. You'd be great at it."

As he heard those words, Bokuto's whole body seemed to deflate. "I really need to figure what I'm going to do for work."

Oikawa huffed irritably. "I still can't believe they fired you out of nowhere! You'd been there for so many years!"

Bokuto's shoulders slumped even further down as he thought about how bad it felt when he was let go from his job. "The new boss just didn't like me. She said I was too unfocused during meetings, and that my ideas were too complicated."

Daichi furrowed his brows and reached past Suga to squeeze Bokuto's arm. "Your ideas made that company what it is today. It's a shame she didn't understand that."

There was no response from Bokuto; he had a hard time speaking when feeling particularly dejected. 

Suga gave Bokuto a friendly nudge. "You'll find another job soon, so don't stress too much about it. That's why we're coming out to the sanctuary, anyway. There’s nothing like being out in the countryside and around horses to get your mind off your worries.”

“Yeah, let's try to enjoy the next week together," Oikawa said encouragingly. "No one deserves rest and relaxation more than you."

Hajime nodded in agreement. "You were always putting in twelve hour days at that damn company. Now you can find a job that values you and let's you have more down time."

Bokuto grumbled as he looked at his feet. "That's what Kuroo and Kenma have been saying, too. But I don't like free time. I like being busy and creative. To have something driving me. Without it… I feel useless."

"Well, Keiji will definitely put you to work this week,” Oikawa said as he drove the car through an open gateway; the sign above it read ‘ _ Akaashi Horse Sanctuary.’ _

Iwaizumi sounded more cheerful than usual as he spoke. “Take a look around, Kou. We're here."

Bokuto looked out the window. There were huge fields of long green grass on either side of the road, and then wooden fences separating the road from the pastures. As they came further up the road, they reached a white two story house that was somewhat weathered. Behind it was a red barn which was easily five times the size of the house. 

Beside the barn were multiple corrals, though most were empty. Only one had a horse inside. Bokuto could see a big herd of horses grazing on grass in a large pasture behind the barn as the car pulled up in front of the house. He took a deep inhale as his excitement built up more and more; he started idly rubbing his palms up and down the front of his jeans. It would be his first time seeing a horse up close.

"Alright, I’m feeling super stoked about being here!"

Oikawa grinned as he parked the car. "Go run free and check stuff out. We can put the bags inside the house without your help."

Right after the car came to a full stop, Bokuto burst out of his seat. He ran past the house and beyond the barn, towards the corrals. The long drive had given him plenty of pent up energy; it felt good to run it off. He stopped at the fence of the corral with a horse inside of it. The horse was black, but it had significant burn scars all over its body. It must have been through some kind of fire. Despite that, Bokuto thought he had never seen a more respectable animal. Horses were amazing up close.

He leaned against the fence to watch the restless stallion prance around the corral. And he himself was restless too, despite his focus on the animal. His heel was bouncing gently where one foot was resting on the fence; he didn't do so intentionally, his body just liked to move.

A long time passed, though he didn’t realize. He loved watching the stallion galloping around; if he could, he'd run right beside it. So he was imagining that he was doing just that. And he was so absorbed in watching the horse that he didn't notice a man walking up behind him.

"I'm afraid I can't let you ride that one. It has severe trauma and doesn't let anyone near it," the man said.

Bokuto jumped at the sudden voice and almost fell backwards. He caught himself on the fence just in time, then turned to look at where the voice had come from. He was met with the sight of a man; a man with black hair that gently curled at the ends. A man with blue eyes that were serious, but not unfriendly. 

He was the most beautiful man that Bokuto had ever seen.

Bokuto and the man stared at each other silently for a moment. He couldn't find any words, as hard as he was racking his brain for some. So he just kept his eyes glued on the dark haired man's face.

The man spoke again as he went to fiddle with his fingers. "I'm sorry that I startled you... you've just been standing here for almost an hour. You must be the friend Suga mentioned. I'm Akaashi Keiji, I take care of the horses here at the sanctuary. 

Bokuto flicked his tongue out to lick lips as he processed the string of information. Sometimes he had trouble pronouncing words, and this seemed like it was going to be one of those times. "Agha… Aka…"

Akaashi looked at Bokuto silently, and then seemed to understand the problem. "You can call me Keiji, if that's easier."

Bokuto smiled and finally grabbed hold of his thoughts. "Keiji… nice to meet you! I'm Bokuto Koutarou. You can call me Kou, my friends all call me that."

"Ah, a nickname feels too informal since you're a guest here and this is the first time I'm meeting you. I should call you Bokuto-san," Akaashi said with a slightly nervous tone of voice, though he was mostly managing to hide it.

Hearing Akaashi call him Bokuto-san almost made him giggle. It sounded so formal. So he waved a hand in the air dismissively. "Nah, Kou’s fine! I actually forget to answer when people call me anything else. It causes me a lot of trouble… or it did… at my old job..."

After a moment, Akaashi nodded slightly. "I see. Well then, nice to meet you, Kou."

Bokuto felt a thrill of excitement at hearing Akaashi use his preferred name. He crossed his arms and started tapping his fingers against his elbows in an attempt to keep himself from being too loud, since people seemed to be put off when he was too enthusiastic. "So, Keiji. You said this horse has trauma. Does it have to do with the burn scars on it?"

"Yes,” Akaashi said as he glanced at the horse with a worried frown. “The property he came from had a bad fire. The owners passed away during, as did most of the other animals. He’s been here for a week, but he still won't let me near him. It was quite an ordeal just getting him into the corral. He barely eats and doesn't stay still for long."

Bokuto was still tapping his fingers rhythmically on his elbows as he looked from Akaashi to the horse. "I know what it's like to not be able to keep still. Poor guy... he probably needs a purpose, you know? Like… not having something to put your energy into is so depressing!"

Akaashi glanced curiously at Bokuto as though he wasn't expecting him to say that. "You're right. It probably would help him to have something to do, especially if he could bond with the other horses. I'm afraid I can't help him with that until he comes to trust me more, though. I can't even go inside the corral without it upsetting him."

Bokuto looked at the horse, which was pacing around in a large circle. He couldn't help feeling empathetic; he felt like he was pacing around in circles, without a direction or purpose in his life. It was a hard thing to deal with.

"There you are, Kou! And I see you've already met Keiji,” Suga said; he and the others had just walked over.

Iwaizumi leaned on the fence and looked in at the stallion. "Wow… bad injuries for this guy, huh?"

Akaashi nodded solemnly. "Yes, I was just telling your friend about it. He barely escaped a fire and it's caused him a great deal of stress."

Daichi had come to lean on the fence next to Iwaizumi. "Well, we're here to get rid of some stress. So put us to work, Keiji! I know you have plenty we can help with."

"Yeah, give me something to do, Keiji!” Bokuto said as he uncrossed his arms and started swinging them at his sides excitedly. “I want to learn all about horses! Everything there is to know about them!"

Oikawa, who was now leaning against Iwaizumi’s back, grinned playfully. "Don't worry. You'll learn a lot about them while you're here. It would be hard not to, since that's the focus of this sanctuary."

Akaashi glanced at Bokuto. His eyes lingered on his hair for a moment, and not for the first time; he had probably never seen someone with black and white hair before. Then he looked at Daichi. "The stalls need to be mucked out, and I need to walk out to check one of the horses in the back pasture. A mare is pregnant and well along."

Daichi stretched his arms over his head and laughed. "Been years since I got to shovel some horse shit. Let's do it!"

Oikawa pouted and looked at the barn with disgust. "Ugh, always my least favorite part."

Bokuto looked around at his friend and then returned his gaze to Akaashi. "Can I come with you to check the other horses? I really want to see more of them!"

Akaashi looked at Bokuto quietly for a long moment; his face was unreadable. 

Iwaizumi reached to nudge Bokuto while grinning. "Keiji probably wants to do it by himself. You can see more horses later, Kou. Come get in on the fun that goes into running a horse sanctuary by shoveling some crap with us!"

But Akaashi spoke up suddenly. "He can come with me. I’ll show him the rest of the property as we go along."

Oikawa glanced at Suga with a veiled expression, then turned to Akaashi with a bright grin. "Have fun! Kou has more energy than a yearling, just so you know."

Bokuto was practically vibrating now that he was allowed to go along with Akaashi. He couldn't wait to see the property and the horses. "Thanks, Keiji! You're the best!"

Akaashi looked away from Bokuto; his ears had gone a slightly red color. "Follow me then, if you would,” he said as he walked towards the back pasture. Bokuto hurried along after him, chatting away excitedly.

Oikawa stared after them, smirking as though he were satisfied with something. "Well, well. Kou's getting special treatment, isn't he? We weren't allowed to go out to the pastures until we had a good handle on doing all the chores."

Suga winked at Oikawa mischievously. “That was back when old man Akaashi was running things. Maybe Keiji’s got a softer heart than we thought.”

Daichi started heading toward the barn. “Come on, guys. The stalls won't muck themselves.”

Suga started to follow along behind Daichi. But then he glanced back out towards Bokuto and Akaashi once more; his lips curled into a triumphant smile. Things were going smoothly, as far as he could tell. 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like Bokuto is an adhd person like me but I can't tell if it's just because I project so much of myself on him?? 
> 
> Anyway I wrote this after reading some very sad BokuAka fics, including the one that everyone knows about (yes, that one). And I needed fluff. So rest assured that this story will not hurt you.


	2. Chapter 2

Akaashi occasionally glanced over at Bokuto as they walked towards the pasture. The man's eyes were animated and he was gesturing with his hands a lot as he chattered away. He kept up the conversation without much help, which was actually preferable. And so Akaashi nodded and replied when necessary, though was preoccupied by Bokuto's hair; it was such an unusual color, unlike any he’d seen. Not only the hair on his head, either; his eyebrows and eyelashes were as white as the various strands through his black hair. 

Akaashi cleared his throat before speaking when his curiosity finally became too loud to ignore. "Can I ask you something?"

Bokuto looked towards Akaashi and smiled brightly. "Sure! Fire away!"

Akaashi thought about how to phrase his question for a moment. "Is your hair… naturally that color? I only ask because people don't usually dye their eyebrows and eyelashes, as far as I’m aware."

"Well, it's actually like this because I have poliosis,” Bokuto said as he automatically reached to run a hand through his gelled up hair. “It's not like… a disease, or anything. It just means some of my hair doesn't have any pigmentation. I used to feel super embarrassed about it when I was a kid. But when I met my best friend Kuroo, he said that it makes me look like an owl. And owls are super cool! So since then, I've thought my hair is super cool, too! Don’t you think owls are cool, Keiji?"

Akaashi tried to hide the amused grin that was threatening to expose the unexplained happiness he felt when he listened to Bokuto talk. The man seemed to try to be mellow at first, but then his excitement would build as he spoke; it was cute. "Yes, Kou. Owls are very cool."

Bokuto seemed to puff up with pride as he smiled brightly. "Horses are cool too! Have you always been around them?"

Akaashi nodded as he opened the gate to the large pasture to let Bokuto and himself through it; he was careful to close it after them. "Yes, I've lived here almost my whole life. But I left for a few years to get my equine veterinarian training done."

Bokuto reached down to run his hands through some of the tall grass as they walked. "Wow, you're a veterinarian? That's so awesome! I wish I had a cool job like that!"

Akaashi hummed in agreement. He liked being a veterinarian; it was a fulfilling profession that didn't require a lot of human interaction. "What do you do for work, Kou?"

He noticed Bokuto's energy wane a little, as though the man was literally deflating; it would almost be amusing if it weren’t obviously due to him being upset. 

Bokuto’s answer came out more quietly than anything else he had said so far. "Ah. Well… I used to work for a big company. I was there for a really long time. And we did everything there, like, literally everything. But my job was to come up with ideas for products and to help market them."

Akaashi glanced at Bokuto's sad eyes. The fact that the man was no longer at that job, and unhappy about it, didn’t escape his notice. "You’re not the one who left, I take it?"

Bokuto seemed to deflate even further; even his hair seemed to lose volume, somehow. And his words were mumbled, which made them slightly hard to hear. "No… I was fired. We got a new boss, and she didn't like me very much. I can be a little… hard to handle, I guess. Sometimes I talk too much, and I have mood swings. There’s also a particular way I organize my time and space which doesn't always make sense to anyone else. And sometimes I’d work for hours straight without even moving, and I’d accidentally ignore people when they come to ask me questions. And I get lost in my thoughts pretty often.”

There was a brief pause where Bokuto didn’t seem to want to say anything else; or perhaps he felt embarrassed by everything he had just shared so willingly with a near stranger. But he continued talking before too long. “My old boss knew that I came up with cool ideas when I was lost in my own head, but the new boss thought that I was just wasting time while spaced out….”

Akaashi wanted to reach out and pat Bokuto's shoulder as a gesture of comfort, but he didn't. It wouldn't be appropriate for people who had just met, and Akaashi himself wasn't very touchy anyway. "I'm sorry to hear that, Kou. I bet your ideas were really good."

As if the compliment breathed life into him once again, Bokuto's eyes lit up while he spoke. "Thanks, Keiji! You're so nice! I like you a lot already!"

“Thank you. You’re nice, too,” Akaashi said as he moved his hand to scratch the side of his face. He only did so to hide his blush from Bokuto. He didn't like how easily he was blushing around the man; it wasn’t like him.

Not long after that, the two men reached a large herd of horses. Bokuto’s eyes widened as he stared at them all; he looked like a kid in a candy shop for the first time. And he tried to run forward towards them, but Akaashi caught his wrist. 

"You have to be as calm as you can, Kou,” Akaashi said in a quiet voice. “Most of these horses are rescues, so they can be flighty. Will you stay right by me and match my pace?"

Bokuto turned to look at Akaashi while nodding; his face was earnest as he spoke in a soft voice. "Okay, Keiji. I'll do my best."

Akaashi gave an encouraging grin, though it was a small one. Then he looked down and realized he was still holding Bokuto's wrist. He let it go and pulled his hand back to his side quickly while looking away; he didn't want to make the man uncomfortable. 

At that moment, one of the horses came walking towards them. It was a brown mare with a large pregnant belly. She brushed against Akaashi's shoulder with her muzzle while he smiled and patted her neck. 

Bokuto was watching the interaction. And he started smiling too, both from excitement and in response to the genuine happiness on Akaashi's face; it was the most openly he had shown his feelings so far. 

Akaashi turned to look at Bokuto as he scaled back his enthusiasm. "This is probably the most friendly horse here. Do you want to come say hi to her?"

Bokuto nodded, but didn't move. He was playing with the hem of his shirt with his fingers as he stared at the mare. “I’ve never seen a horse in real life before. They’re a lot taller up close, aren’t they?”

“They are, but they’re gentle animals,” Akaashi said as he took a small step back from the mare, though he stayed within arms reach. Then he patted her neck and looked at Bokuto. "Come stand next to me, Kou."

Bokuto silently nodded again and slowly moved to stand beside Akaashi, which left him right in front of the mare. But his body was stiff; he didn't reach out to greet the animal. 

Akaashi stared at Bokuto, who seemed very nervous now that he was face to face with the tall animal. So he reached his hand out and took Bokuto's wrist, then brought both of their hands up to the horse's neck. "It's okay. She won't hurt you."

Once Bokuto started gently brushing his hand over the mare's neck, Akaashi released his wrist and moved around him to stand at the mare’s side. Then he spoke softly. "Keep petting her, Kou. I'm going to look her over and see if she’s getting close to foaling."

It didn’t take long for Bokuto to move closer to the large animal's neck as he petted her carefully. And once his nervousness settled down, he seemed to be enjoying himself. He was carefully remaining quiet as he continued to brush his hand over the horse. Before too long, he ended up closing his eyes and leaning his face against the mare. 

Akaashi finished checking the mare and stood up from where he was examining her belly. Then he turned to look at Bokuto; his heart felt warm when he saw that the man was hugging the mare. And the mare was leaning her muzzle towards Bokuto's shoulder; it truly looked like she was hugging him back. 

On impulse, Akaashi slipped his phone out of his pocket and snapped a photo. But the sound made Bokuto open his eyes and turn towards him with a curious expression. 

Akaashi blushed. "Sorry. I thought it would make a nice picture."

Bokuto smiled warmly. "That's okay, I don't mind. You can use it as my contact picture. Here, I'll give you my phone number."

Akaashi looked at the ground and nodded while handing his phone to Bokuto. It seemed inappropriate to be getting a phone number from someone who was technically a guest at his establishment. He was feeling rather embarrassed; his grandfather probably wouldn't have approved. 

Bokuto took the phone and entered his number with one hand. After a moment, he gave it back to Akaashi. "I sent myself a text so that I have your number too."

Akaashi thought it seemed even more inappropriate now that a guest now had his personal number; he had a seperate phone for sanctuary related things. He glanced at Bokuto while blushing and feeling awkward, but he also felt kind of happy. "Do you want me to show you around the rest of the property now?"

Bokuto nodded, then gave the mare a final hug before stepping away from her. But she took a few steps towards him while trying to put her muzzle back on his shoulder. So Bokuto laughed and gave her another few pats. 

"She seems to have taken a liking to you," Akaashi said while allowing himself a small grin. 

Bokuto hummed happily as he walked back over to Akaashi. "I like her too! Horses are great!"

As they walked away, Bokuto excitedly asked about how soon the mare would have her foal. And his hand kept brushing against Akaashi's, though it didn’t seem intentional. 

Akaashi glanced at Bokuto's hand as he answered his various questions, feeling a sudden urge to hold it; the impulse surprised him, and he quickly shoved it from his mind. He was starting to think he might have a crush on Bokuto. And he didn’t know what to do about that. 

Meanwhile, Suga and the rest had just finished mucking the stalls. Then they did all the other chores they knew how to do. From a young age, the four friends had spent summers out at the sanctuary and helped care for the horses while learning how to ride them, which was enjoyable. 

The four of them were about to head back to the house when Bokuto and Akaashi came walking into the barn. Akaashi was leading a horse in after him, and Bokuto was at Akaashi's heels like an excited puppy. 

When Bokuto spotted his friends, he called out to them. "Hey guys! Keiji taught me so much about horses! We walked all over the property, too! It's beautiful here!"

Oikawa smiled at Bokuto as if in approval. "You seem happy, Kou. I knew being here would be good for you. We finally got you out of your slump!”

Akaashi quietly led the horse over to where the saddles were kept while listening to the other men talk to each other. Bokuto was still following right behind him as if there were an invisible rope connecting them. He was practically leading both the horse and Bokuto. 

Daichi gave Bokuto a friendly pat on the back as he passed by. "I hope you didn't talk Keiji's ear off. He doesn't see a lot of people these days, so you probably said more to him than anyone has for months."

Bokuto glanced at Akaashi; his eyes were suddenly sad and concerned. "Aw, Keiji. Don't you get lonely?"

Akaashi paused as he was placing a saddle on the horses back. Bokuto had asked him a question that he wasn't prepared to answer; it really caught him off guard. He briefly looked at Bokuto, then returned to saddling the horse. "I didn't used to, when my grandfather was still here. But it's been different since he passed away…."

It was an uncomfortable subject; Akaashi avoided looking at anyone when he finished speaking. And everyone looked down or away because they were unsure of what to say to the man who always kept his emotions buried and in check. That is, everyone except for Bokuto; he walked over to Akaashi and threw his arms around him, squeezing him into a tight hug.

Iwaizumi glanced at Daichi with a surprised raise of his eyebrows, and Daichi mirrored the expression. But Suga stared at the two men with an almost smug grin; he seemed to support what was happening. And Oikawa was staring with his mouth open, but he also seemed very pleased. None of the four men had ever seen Akaashi be hugged by anyone, not even his grandfather. 

However, Bokuto wasn’t afraid of offering comfort to someone, no matter how little they knew each other. He was very empathetic. He didn't like seeing people hurting or sad, and couldn’t help but comfort someone if they were feeling that way, because he knew how hard it could be.

Akaashi stood stiffly for a moment at the start of the hug. He’d never been one for physical contact; his grandfather was a kind man, but not an openly affectionate one. And the sudden physical contact was very unexpected, though not unpleasant. As Bokuto's strong arms held him, he felt safe and warm. He found himself leaning his face down on Bokuto's shoulder while wrapping his arms around him.

As they stood there embracing each other, Suga motioned to the others, pointing towards the barn door. The four of them quietly walked out of the barn to let the two men have their moment without an audience. 

Akaashi couldn't seem to let go of Bokuto, and Bokuto was showing no signs of letting go of him. He felt his long ignored sadness start to well up in his chest. The desire for someone to comfort him after the loss of his grandfather had been simmering below the surface; he had pushed it down inside of himself and tried to pretend he wasn't hurting. But now he found himself crying on Bokuto's shoulder while clinging tightly to him.

Bokuto held Akaashi closer and moved a hand to the back of his head so he could gently brush through his hair. "It's okay to miss him, Keiji. It's okay to need people, and to be sad when they're no longer with us."

Akaashi didn't answer. He just quietly shed the tears that had been waiting for so long to be released; it was cathartic to finally do so. After a very long while, he let go of Bokuto's shirt and dropped his hands to his sides. And at that point, Bokuto let go and stood back.

"Sorry, Kou. I didn't mean to get like that in front of you," Akaashi said as he pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his face. 

But Bokuto looked at Akaashi softly and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm really glad you did, though. You don't have to be sad by yourself. I know what it feels like to lose someone. It hurts, and it keeps on hurting. It won't help to ignore it, Keiji."

Akaashi looked up and met Bokuto's eyes. They really looked more gold than anything else, especially when hit with light in just the right way. And at that moment, sunlight was filtering through a window in that perfect way; the man's eyes were beautifully illuminated. The way his white eyelashes framed them made them even more breathtaking. 

After a moment of quiet appreciation, Akaashi gave a small grin as he spoke. "Did you want to ride a horse, Kou?"

Bokuto suddenly perked up and smiled brightly. "Yeah! I’ve actually been wanting to ride one since I was a kid!"

Akaashi moved to finish saddling the patiently waiting horse and then turned to look at Bokuto again. "Want to ride this one and come with me to bring the horses back in from the pasture?"

Bokuto's face brightened up even more. "Yeah! But... I'm kind of nervous to ride one, honestly."

"I'll be right next to you,” Akaashi said as he held a hand out towards Bokuto to offer help getting into the saddle. “I'll lead her by the reins, just hold onto the saddle."

Just like that, Bokuto was vibrating with excitement once again. He shook his wrists as if to ward off his nervousness, and then took Akaashi's hand. With some effort and guiding words from Akaashi, he climbed up onto the saddle. 

Akaashi grabbed another saddle and tucked it under one arm, then grabbed the reins. He glanced up at Bokuto and gave a reassuring nod. "Don't worry, I'll have her walk slow. Use your legs to hold onto her sides." 

Bokuto wrapped his hands around the saddle horn and squeezed his legs against the horse. Then he nodded his head at Keiji. "Okay, I’m ready."

Akaashi let himself smile as he led the horse out of the barn. Once outside, he stopped next to where the other four men were sitting on a fence. "We're going to bring the horses in. There's going to be a storm tonight, so can you guys shudder the windows of the house? And feel free to shower. I'll make dinner when we get back."

With that, the two men and the horse headed out towards the back pasture. Bokuto was a little less chatty than usual, but still looked thrilled. And Akaashi seemed happy as well. 

Iwaizumi cleared his throat as he watched them go. "Well, I didn't think Keiji would take a liking to Kou so quickly. They're so opposite in their temperaments. Keiji is calm and reserved, but Bokuto is outgoing and energetic. "

Daichi nodded in agreement. "Yeah, seriously. Talk about an unexpected development."

But the turn of events was not entirely unexpected; at least, not for everyone. Suga and Oikawa looked at each other while grinning impishly. The two men had hoped for this exact situation to play out. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poliosis is a real thing. I spent 20 minutes reading about that earlier today.
> 
> P.S. [Check out the picture Akaashi took of Bokuto.](https://spacejammie-eimmajecaps.tumblr.com/post/632691989856583680/repost-because-i-changed-the-name-of-the)  
> [Follow the artist here.](https://twitter.com/yna_arts?s=09)


	3. Chapter 3

When Akaashi and Bokuto finished bringing in the horses, the sun was just starting to set. And there were dark storm clouds rolling in quickly; the wind was picking up from a light breeze to forceful gusts. Once the two men had secured the horses in the barn, Akaashi closed the door tightly. Then he glanced out at the corral that held the black stallion and sighed in an almost defeated way. He knew there wouldn’t be a safe way to get the animal inside the barn.

Bokuto followed Akaashi's gaze, then furrowed his brows in concern. "Aren't we bringing that one in too?"

Akaashi shook his head slightly while frowning. The rain would be terribly unpleasant for the animal, as would any lightning and thunder. But he couldn’t get the stallion into the barn without help from someone who knew how to handle a frightened horse; it had taken three people to get the animal into the corral back when it was first brought to the sanctuary. 

"I wish we could, but he would probably stomp on us if we went into the corral. I don't want you to get hurt."

Bokuto looked at the stallion sadly. "But the storm will be really scary for him."

"We can't do anything for him, unfortunately. He doesn't want anyone near him," Akaashi said as he grabbed Bokuto's wrist to tug him towards the house. But he quickly let go once he realized what he was doing, and started walking away quickly as a blush spread over his face. "Let's get inside. You can shower first while I start dinner."

Bokuto glanced back at the stallion, then reluctantly went to follow Akaashi to the house. When they came inside, they found Suga and Daichi in the kitchen cooking dinner. And Oikawa was sitting on a counter while Iwaizumi was over on the couch.

Suga glanced over at them and grinned. "We beat you to the kitchen, Keiji. So you two can just go get cleaned up."

Akaashi nodded at them gratefully, then turned to Bokuto. "Go ahead and use the shower that’s in the upstairs bathroom. Do you want me to show you where?"

"I'll show him where the bathroom is,” Iwaizumi said as he stood up. “I need to plug my phone in, so I was about to go upstairs anyway.”

While Iwaizumi led Bokuto up the stairs, Akaashi went to sit on the couch. Oikawa came over and sat beside him, then winked as he spoke. “You had yourself a shadow today, didn’t you? I hope you two got along alright.”

Akaashi shifted in his seat and then went to fiddle with his fingers; he didn't want to admit out loud that he had actually enjoyed Bokuto’s company throughout the day. "I didn't mind him hanging out with me. He was helpful.”

Oikawa and Suga glanced at each other mischievously, then Suga went back to cooking while looking rather smug. The two men had expected this outcome, though they hadn't told anyone else about their secret plan to get their two single friends together. 

Iwaizumi came back down the stairs and then sat next to Akaashi. "Thanks again for letting us come out here, Keiji. We really needed a way to cheer Kou up. He lost his job a couple months ago after having been there for years, and he's living with a couple of our friends right now as he tries to figure out what to do next. The whole situation has been pretty hard for him. We wanted him to have somewhere to clear his head, and this place is perfect for that."

Akaashi glanced from Daichi to Iwaizumi as he replied in a calm voice. "I was glad to hear you guys wanted to come out here again. It's been a while since you last made the trip."

“We'll have to change that and come more often,” Daichi said as he went to set the table. “Especially since Kou seems to have clicked with you and the horses. You know, I was pretty surprised that you guys became comfortable so quickly. You were always the reserved type, Keiji."

Akaashi found himself having to suppress a smile while ignoring the feeling of butterflies in his stomach; he had also been surprised at how quickly he warmed up to Bokuto. The man was just comfortable to be around. 

Just then, Bokuto came halfway down the stairs. And he was naked except for a towel wrapped around his waist. "Hey, where'd you guys put my suitcase?"

Suga called out from the kitchen. "Oh, it's in me and Daichi's room. Second door on the right!"

Akaashi's eyes automatically went to scan over Bokuto's muscular body. His gaze then lifted to the man's hair, which looked very different when down than it did gelled up. It was actually really cute, Akaashi thought. And then his ears went red as he realized that he was staring. 

Bokuto nodded at Akaashi with a wide grin. "I'm done in the shower, Keiji! It's all yours now!"

In more of a hurry than necessary, Akaashi got off the couch and followed Bokuto up the stairs. But he was trying not to stare at the man's bare back or imagine what he looked like without the towel. 

The bathroom was all the way at the end of the hall. Oikawa and Iwaizumi were sharing the room behind the first door on the right. Daichi and Suga were in the second room on that side. Bokuto's bedroom was across from Suga's. And Akaashi's room was the first door on the left, next to Bokuto’s. All together there were five bedrooms in the house, the fifth one being downstairs. It had been Akaashi's grandfather's room; it remained undisturbed since the old man's passing.

Akaashi took a quick shower as he reflected back on the day. He was happy that his old friends were all with him once again. He had fond memories of the summer's spent with Suga and the others, even if the four of them had been troublesome and loud most of the time. And he was glad to have met Bokuto, who he wanted to spend more time with.

After he stepped out of the shower, he wrapped his towel around his waist and opened the bathroom door. At the same time, Bokuto was just walking out of his bedroom; the two men almost ran into each other. 

Bokuto jumped back out of the way, which made him run into the wall of the narrow hallway. "Oh, sorry Keiji! I didn't see you…." His voice trailed off as he looked over Akaashi's body, which was naked except for the towel. A deep blush spread over his face as he started mumbling something and playing with his hair nervously. 

Akaashi found himself blushing too. He glanced up at Bokuto’s face, then nodded at him before looking down at his own feet. "Don't worry about it. I'm going to go get dressed now," he said as he slid past Bokuto and went into his room.

Dinner was ready when Akaashi came back downstairs, and it smelled delicious. Food was always appreciated after a long day of hard work around the horse sanctuary. Everyone except Bokuto was at the table, so Akaashi sat beside Suga, who passed him a plate full of curry and rice. 

Akaashi nodded in appreciation before he started eating. "Thank you for making food."

Oikawa gave Akaashi a playful grin as he stirred his food around his plate. "Our curry must have turned out pretty good. Bokuto practically inhaled his and then rushed off. I just hope you didn't scare him, Keiji. Did something happen between you two while you were upstairs?"

A look of embarrassment came over Akaashi's face; he stared intently at his food while he continued to eat silently. He didn't know if almost running into the man while half dressed counted as 'something happening.' He certainly hoped he hadn't made Bokuto uncomfortable by being in just a towel in front of him. 

Iwaizumi lightly smacked Oikawa's head and gave him a stern look. "Don't tease him like that, Tooru." He then turned to Akaashi and gave an apologetic look. "Bokuto just wanted to check on something outside. You didn't do anything to make him uncomfortable."

Daichi nodded in agreement and gave a reassuring smile. "Yeah, he wasn't running away from you, Keiji. Don't let Tooru get to you with his teasing."

But something about what Iwaizumi had said made Akaashi feel concerned. He looked at him with a puzzled expression and stopped eating. "What did Bokuto want to check on? It's already raining out there."

Iwaizumi hummed nonchalantly and shrugged his shoulders. "Not sure. He didn't even grab a flashlight or umbrella, though. He was in such a hurry."

Daichi started to stand up since he had already finished his food. "One of us should probably go check on him."

Bokuto didn't know the property well enough to be wandering around it during a storm, and it made Akaashi nervous. So he shoveled the rest of his food into his mouth before standing up. Then he rushed over to the door, beating Daichi there. As soon as he could swallow his food, he glanced back at the others. "I'll go look for him."

Without waiting to discuss it further, Akaashi quickly put on a jacket and boots. Then he grabbed a flashlight and an umbrella before he hurried to step out into the rain; a bolt of lightning snapped across the sky right as he came outside, and a loud boom of thunder followed it. He could hear the horses in the barn whinny in fear from all the noise.

His mind clicked through where Bokuto might have gone, and he immediately thought of the stallion in the corral. Bokuto had been worried about it earlier. So he hurried out that way, shining the flashlight around him as he went. He came up to the corral quickly and froze in his tracks when he looked inside. Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw.

There in the middle of the corral was the black stallion. But the stallion wasn't running around in fear, as Akaashi would have expected from the flighty animal. It was standing still and seemed mostly calm. But what was even more shocking was that Bokuto was in there with the stallion. The man was hugging the stallion's neck, just like he had done earlier to the mare in the pasture. And the stallion was letting him do so without causing a fuss. 

Akaashi blinked in disbelief; the horse had never let anyone so close before. At least, not while the animal had been at the sanctuary. 

Just then, another flash of lightning was followed by a crash of thunder. The stallion threw its head back nervously, but calmed once Bokuto gave it a few pats on its neck. Then the animal moved its muzzle back over Bokuto's shoulder. And they were both completely soaked from being out in the storm without shelter. 

After a moment, Akaashi turned off the flashlight and set it down by the fence. Then he slowly and carefully climbed into the corral. He made sure not to move too suddenly. With one slow step at a time, he moved towards the man and the stallion. When he reached them, he lifted the umbrella over their heads as much as he could, then stood close to Bokuto and pressed himself against him. 

"You're going to catch a cold at this rate," Akaashi said as calmly as he could, so as not to startle the stallion or the man.

Bokuto turned his head to look at Akaashi. "I couldn't just leave him out here alone. He was so scared. He needed someone with him, to comfort him and make him feel safe."

Akaashi swallowed a lump in his throat. Bokuto's statement fit his own predicament as much as it fit the stallions; they had both been isolated and scared, in need of comfort. And Bokuto had such a way of reaching a heart that was afraid and alone; he had already brought some comfort to Akaashi in the short time that they'd known each other. 

Akaashi pressed himself closer against Bokuto's back and wrapped one arm around him tightly. He then pressed his face into the back of the man's neck. He decided right then that he would stay out there with Bokuto until the storm passed. He held the umbrella over them as best he could while the rain continued to pour down. Lightning and thunder startled the stallion occasionally, but Bokuto's soothing words and touch calmed the animal every time. 

At one point, a strong gust of wind blew the umbrella away. So Akaashi moved to wrap himself more securely around Bokuto as they both shivered from the cold. They stood out there for over an hour until the storm finally died down and the rain slowed to a drizzle. 

Once it was certain that the weather was improving, Bokuto turned to Akaashi; his teeth were chattering as he spoke. "M-m-aybe y-ou c-c-ould g-et a r-rope a-a-and we c-can le-e-ead him t-to the b-b-arn n-n-ow?"

Akaashi looked at Bokuto with concern; the man was definitely freezing cold from being soaked by the rain. Though he himself wasn't any better off; he felt chilled to his core and was just as shaky as Bokuto seemed to be. As he considered the man's words, he nodded and then went to get a length of rope. He returned with it quickly.

The stallion allowed the rope and willingly followed Bokuto's lead to the barn. Once the two men had dried off the stallion and put a blanket over it, they walked back towards the house. As they went along, Akaashi put an arm around Bokuto’s waist to keep him warm, for what little difference it made. When they came inside the house, they almost ran into Daichi and Iwaizumi; the two men had just been putting on their coats. 

Daichi looked at the two soaked men with an expression that was both relieved and concerned at the same time. "You were gone a long time. We were about to come look for you."

Iwaizumi gave them a similar look as Daichi. "Damn, you're both soaked. Were you two standing right under the rain this whole time?"

Just then, Suga and Oikawa hurried over with towels. They helped the two men get out of their wet clothes all the way down to just boxers. Then Suga shot a worried look at them. "You guys need a warm shower and some hot tea. You'll both catch a bad cold at this rate."

Akaashi nodded absentmindedly; it was hard to think at the moment. He was so cold that he felt numb all the way through his body as he reached for Bokuto's wrist and pulled him along up the stairs, leading them to the bathroom.

Bokuto was shivering violently as Akaashi turned the shower on and let the water heat up. 

Once it was warm, Bokuto stepped into the shower while still in his boxers. He grabbed Akaashi's hand and pulled him into the shower as well. Then he closed the curtain and wrapped his arms around Akaashi while the water flowed over their bodies. "Sorry for getting you all wet and cold."

Akaashi huddled against Bokuto's chest as the water ran over his skin; it was almost painful to have warm water on him at that point since he was still so cold. "It's okay. Thank you for helping the stallion, Kou."

Akaashi laid his head on Bokuto's shoulder, and Bokuto put his cheek against Akaashi's hair. Then they stayed in the shower, huddled together in just their boxers, until the warm water ran out. When they were drying off after removing their wet boxers, Akaashi was feeling much better. But Bokuto was still rather pale; he needed to rest. 

Suga knocked on the door and spoke from the other side. "I'm going to make you guys some tea. Do you want me to bring it up here?"

Akaashi wrapped his towel around himself and opened the door a crack. "Would you bring them both to Kou's room?"

Suga looked at Akaashi standing there wrapped in just a towel, then glanced at Bokuto, who had a towel over his head as he dried his hair. There was a hint of amusement in Suga's eyes as he nodded before turning to walk back down stairs; things were going better than he could have hoped. 

As Akaashi walked into the hallway, he turned to look at Bokuto. "I'm going to get dressed. And then we can have tea in your room, okay?"

Bokuto wrapped his towel around himself and nodded while a grin spread across his lips. Then he went into his bedroom and pulled on a pair of boxers. Despite the warm shower, he was still feeling cold. But he didn't like sleeping with a bunch of clothes on, so the boxers were all he wanted to wear. He climbed into the bed and then pulled the covers up to his chin. 

Just then, Akaashi came into the room; he was shirtless and wearing pajama pants. Bokuto looked at him in awe while obviously checking him out. 

Akaashi blushed and turned around. "Sorry, I'll put a shirt on."

Bokuto shook his head. "No, wait. Come get under the blanket,” he said as he pulled the covers back and patted the spot beside himself. Then he gave Akaashi a hopeful smile.

Akaashi stood in the doorway for a moment while considering whether that would be okay. After deciding that it wasn't any more intimate than having just showered together, he relented and climbed into the bed. 

Bokuto let out a cheerful hum and then wrapped his arms around Akaashi. 

Akaashi blushed and then hid his face under Bokuto's chin. He pressed his face against his neck so that he could smile without being seen. Being close to Bokuto was really nice; it felt warm and comfortable. So he closed his eyes and let himself relax.

A short while later, Suga brought the cups of tea up the stairs. But he found that Bokuto and Akaashi were curled up together in Bokuto's bed; they were already fast asleep. 

  
  
  



	4. Chapter 4

Bokuto woke to the sound of a phone camera taking pictures, so he slowly opened his eyes and went to sit up. But something was on his arm. When he looked beside himself, he found Akaashi sleeping contentedly. Then he looked up to where Oikawa was shamelessly taking pictures. 

Oikawa smiled at Bokuto cheerfully. "Good morning, sleepyhead. You two looked cute sleeping together."

Bokuto carefully pulled his arm out from under Akaashi and tried to sit up, then laid back down immediately. "I don't feel so good."

Oikawa frowned and walked closer, putting a hand to Bokuto's forehead. "Oh my. That's quite a fever you have." He clicked his tongue as he moved his hand to Akaashi's forehead.

The hand on his face managed to wake Akaashi. He opened his eyes and stared up at Oikawa, who still had his hand on his forehead. Akaashi frowned slightly and pushed the hand away; he didn’t like that Oikawa was standing over him and touching his face while he slept. He then looked to his left. He saw Bokuto next to him and remembered why they were there in bed together. 

He sat up and felt Bokuto's forehead. Then his eyebrows scrunched together and a worried frown came over his lips. "You're very hot."

Bokuto grinned weakly. "Thanks, you're hot too."

Akaashi blushed and looked away. "I meant that you have a fever…" 

Bokuto started coughing, prompting Akaashi to reach over to the nightstand and grab one of the untouched tea cups from last night. Then he put an arm under Bokuto's head to lift him a bit. "Try to drink this."

Oikawa sighed. "You stomped around out in the rain, then came home soaked to the bone. That's the way you earn yourself a bad cold. So you better stay in bed today, Kou. How are you feeling, Keiji? You didn't seem feverish."

Akaashi moved his legs out of the covers. "I'm fine. I'll make more tea before I go do the morning chores."

Oikawa smiled in amusement at Akaashi's shirtless body. He caught a glimpse of Bokuto's boxers when the covers were lifted, then started walking out of the room as he spoke. "Iwaizumi and Daichi are already out doing the chores. And Suga made breakfast. I think he made tea already, too. I'll let him know that Kou isn't feeling well."

Akaashi turned back to look at Bokuto, laying his hand over his forehead again. 

Bokuto put his hand over Akaashi's; he sounded miserable when he spoke. "My head’s gonna explode any minute. You should escape before it does, I don't want you to get messy."

Akaashi smiled wryly. "I'm not worried about getting messy. I'll get you more tea and some water. Do you think you can eat?"

Bokuto closed his eyes and shook his head with a pout. Akaashi stood up, but Bokuto held onto his hand and peeked one eye open. "Wait, don't leave. Lay back down. Please?"

Akaashi impulsively kissed Bokuto's hand before prying it off of his own. Then he tucked Bokuto into the blanket. "I'll be right back."

Bokuto whined in disappointment until another cough shook his body. 

Akaashi looked at Bokuto sympathetically before he walked out of the room. He came down the stairs and walked towards the kitchen, where Suga and Oikawa were whispering to each other. Oikawa was showing Suga his phone. 

When Suga saw still-shirtless Akaashi coming into the kitchen, he gave a playful smile. "I heard Kou’s sick. I've got more tea made already, and we’ll take care of all the chores today. So don't worry about the horses."

Akaashi nodded as he stood over the sink, quickly eating some of the bacon and eggs that Suga had cooked for breakfast. Then he stuck a piece of toast in his mouth to hold it as he filled a large cup of water and grabbed the two tea cup handles in one hand.

Akaashi glanced at Suga and Oikawa, who were both giving him looks that he couldn't quite figure out. Since his mouth was busy holding the toast, he just nodded at them as thanks.

Suga gave a wink. "Take good care of Kou for us, okay?"

Akaashi blushed slightly as he went back up the stairs. Once he reached the room Bokuto was staying in, he left all the drinks on the nightstand. Bokuto had fallen back asleep, so Akaashi watched him with a soft expression as he ate his toast. Bokuto's face was flushed from the fever and his breathing was quick. And he was restless even as he slept, giving a wiggle now and then. It made Akaashi smile; it reminded him of a puppy acting out its dreams.

Akaashi went to the bathroom and got some medicine for the fever as well as a forehead thermometer. He set them on the nightstand and then slowly sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to wake Bokuto. After a moment, he very lightly ran the thermometer over Bokuto’s forehead. The fever was pretty high. In light of that, he decided that he should wake Bokuto up and have him take the fever medication. 

Akaashi gently shook Bokuto’s shoulder as he spoke softly. "Kou… I brought some medicine… can you sit up so I can help you take some?"

Bokuto forced his eyes open a bit, gave a weak smile, then went back to sleeping. 

Akaashi bit his lip and fiddled with his fingers while debating whether it would be okay to just let Bokuto sleep through the worst of it. After some contemplation, he decided to let Bokuto rest with a cool washcloth on his forehead. So he went and wet one in the bathroom, then brought it back and carefully laid it across Bokuto's forehead. 

The feeling of something on his forehead roused Bokuto enough for him to grab Akaashi's hand, then pull him down onto his chest. He spoke in a weak voice, which was so different from his usually vigorous one. "Come lay with me, Keiji. I'm so cold."

Akaashi gave a quiet hum in response before climbing back into bed. After letting out something of a happy sigh, Bokuto wrapped his arms around Akaashi and pulled him close. 

As he laid there with Bokuto, Akaashi frowned slightly; he felt like he was being embraced by a space heater. So he wiggled out of his pajama pants and kicked them out of the bed. It would feel more bearable to wear just boxers if he was going to be cuddling the personal space heater version of Bokuto. The heated cuddles felt much more tolerable without pants on. While wrapped in Bokuto's very warm arms, Akaashi felt sweaty but content. And he soon fell back asleep.

\----

Bokuto ended up in bed with a fever for four whole days. Suga talked Akaashi into leaving the chores to him and the others so that he could tend to Bokuto. He'd been reluctant to let them do everything, but Bokuto had sealed the deal with a pleading look. 

On the morning of the sixth day since he arrived at the horse sanctuary, Bokuto woke up feeling completely refreshed. He was curled against Akaashi, who had been convinced to stay in bed with him. It turned out that Akaashi had a hard time refusing the requests of a feverish and sad looking Bokuto. 

After a few moments of sleepy cuddles, Bokuto squeezed Akaashi and then reached for his phone; it was on the nightstand next the books Akaashi had been looking through while Bokuto slept his fever off. He checked the date and frowned, then pressed his face into Akaashi's hair with a groan.

It was enough to wake Akaashi up. He sleepily reached a hand over to pat at Bokuto's head softly. "Is your head still hurting, Kou?"

"No. My heart hurts,” Bokuto said with an exaggerated amount of sorrow. 

Akaashi opened his eyes and turned to look at Bokuto with concern. "Your heart hurts? In what way? Do we need to go to the hospital?"

Bokuto groaned mournfully as he wrapped Akaashi up tighter in his arms. "Not like that, Keiji. I meant that I'm heartbroken."

Akaashi sighed in relief and laid his head back down while closing his eyes; his voice sounded very unconcerned at that point, and he probably wanted to go back to sleep. "I see. Why are you heartbroken, Kou?"

Bokuto let out a deep sigh as if his whole world was about to collapse and he was being forced to accept it. "I'm supposed to leave tomorrow even though I've spent most of the week in bed. I barely got to see the horses. I can’t believe I wasted my vacation."

Akaashi hummed in response while making great efforts not to fall back asleep, though his eyes were closed.

Bokuto spoke again, and this time his voice was soft. "And… I don't want to leave you, Keiji. I like spending time with you. Even though we’ve just been laying around in bed together, this has been the best week of my life."

At that point, Akaashi opened his eyes again. His expression was both surprised and touched, which came across more clearly since he wasn’t fully awake yet. He was giving Bokuto a focused stare as if trying to figure something out, and Bokuto stared back without knowing what else to say. So they looked at each other quietly for a few moments.

Eventually, Bokuto squirmed under Akaashi's concentrated gaze. "Are you upset with me?"

It was immediately after that when Akaashi spoke. "Don't leave."

Bokuto blinked at Akaashi in confusion; he genuinely thought that he’d misheard him. "What?"

"Stay here with me,” Akaashi said as he pushed Bokuto back down and cuddled against his side. Then he went on in a steady voice, as if he wanted to reassure Bokuto that he was confident in what he was saying. “You need a job, right? I can hire you as my employee. You have a natural way with horses, and I'll teach you everything else you need to know."

That was not what Bokuto was expecting to hear. While he had hoped that Akaashi might let him stay an extra week, staying beyond that would be even better. So he wiggled excitedly as he replied. "Really?! That would be awesome!”

Akaashi gave a small grin. “I’m glad the idea appeals to you.”

Then something occurred to Bokuto. If he was going to be working for Akaashi, it might complicate things. Because he had an incredible massive crush on him. So he cleared his throat and spoke hesitantly. “Uhm… what's the company policy for dating employees?"

Akaashi tilted his head back so that he could look at Bokuto’s face; he was keeping an even expression, but his eyes looked excited. "Are you saying you want to date me?"

Bokuto shifted nervously; it would be pretty awkward to be rejected after spending several days cuddling together. "Would you say yes, if I was?"

Akaashi smiled as he leaned over to kiss Bokuto's lips for the first time; it was short and sweet. "Yes."

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this fic, Akashi cares for a sick Bokuto who WILL get better. That's a little therapy trick called "rewriting your experience to one that's more bearable."
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading.


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